# USS Amber > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/USS_Amber > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/USS_Amber.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Amber > Source revision: 1341912449 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) "Polaris (yacht)" redirects here. For other yachts, see [Polaris (ship)](/source/Polaris_(ship)). **USS *Amber* (PYc-6)** was a [patrol boat](/source/Patrol_boat) in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), built at [Long Beach, California](/source/Long_Beach,_California) in 1930 as the yacht ***Infanta*** for the actor [John Barrymore](/source/John_Barrymore). ## Private yacht *Infanta* was designed by [Ted Geary](/source/Ted_Geary) and built by the [Craig Shipbuilding](/source/Craig_Shipbuilding) in [Long Beach, California](/source/Long_Beach,_California) for John Barrymore as a present to his wife, actress [Dolores Costello](/source/Dolores_Costello).[2] The keel was laid on 15 September 1929, launched on 16 January 1930 and named in honour of the couple's expected first child, Dee Dee Barrymore.[2] The [motor yacht](/source/Yacht#Motor_yachts) was originally measured as 118 feet in length and with a tonnage of 253 [GRT](/source/Gross_register_tonnage). Power was from two 275[bhp](/source/Horsepower#Brake_horsepower) [Atlas-Imperial](/source/Atlas-Imperial) diesels driving twin propellers[1][3][4] The Barrymores used the yacht sparingly, due to his preference for the simpler pleasures of his sailboat and his increasing alcoholism.[2] By 18 July 1935 *Infanta* composed most of Barrymore's net worth, being assessed at $56,350 of his net $56,575.[5] In 1937 the yacht, then valued at $75,000 was auctioned to satisfy a mortgage.[6] The yacht was subsequently renamed *Polaris* by owners Edward and Kathryn Lowe of [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco) and home-ported at [Juneau, Alaska](/source/Juneau,_Alaska).[4][7] ## Naval service *Polaris* was purchased by the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) on 23 December 1940, converted for naval service by the [Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding](/source/Winslow_Marine_Railway_and_Shipbuilding) Co. Inc., [Winslow, Washington](/source/Winslow,_Washington). The yacht was renamed *Amber* on 10 January 1941 and simultaneously designated Coastal Patrol Yacht PYc-6, then placed in commission at [Seattle](/source/Seattle) on 3 March 1941.[4] *Amber* was assigned to the Inshore Patrol of the 13th Naval District and, from May until early August, operated around [Seattle](/source/Seattle,_Washington), [Tacoma](/source/Tacoma,_Washington), and [Port Townsend, Washington](/source/Port_Townsend,_Washington). The patrol craft left Seattle on 6 August on a cruise to [Alaska](/source/Alaska), and visited [Ketchikan](/source/Ketchikan), [Juneau](/source/Juneau), and [Sitka](/source/Sitka,_Alaska), before returning to Seattle early in September. In November, *Amber* was assigned to patrol duty at [Astoria, Oregon](/source/Astoria,_Oregon), and patrolled the Strait of [Juan de Fuca](/source/Juan_de_Fuca) off [Neah Bay, Washington](/source/Neah_Bay,_Washington), under the control of the Northwest Sea Frontier Patrol Group. She was decommissioned on 18 October 1944 and her name was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1944. *Amber* was sold back to her former owners on 13 June 1945. ## Return to civilian life Later in 1945 the yacht was sold to the Macco Construction Company of [Clearwater, California](/source/Paramount,_California) and used as a freighter and for geological surveys, still as *Amber*.[2][4] In 1950 she was purchased by the Foss Launch and Tug Company of [Tacoma, Washington](/source/Tacoma,_Washington) and restored there at their own shipyard as the company yacht, named for its founder [Thea Foss](/source/Thea_Foss).[2] As of 2015, and now registered to Saltchuk Resources Inc, the parent company of [Foss Maritime](/source/Foss_Maritime) of [Seattle](/source/Seattle), *Thea Foss* remains in service and has been used continually for the enjoyment of customers and other guests, including in 1975 [King Olaf](/source/Olav_V_of_Norway) of Norway.[2] ## See also - [List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy](/source/List_of_patrol_vessels_of_the_United_States_Navy) ## References 1. Colton, Tim (6 January 2015). ["Craig Shipbuilding, Long Beach CA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150502094107/http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/craig.htm). *Shipbuilding History*. Tim Colton. Archived from [the original](http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/craig.htm) on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015. 1. Skalley, Michael (1986). *Foss: Ninety Years of Towboating*. 2nd ed. Burbank, CA: Superior Publishing Co. p. 169. ISBN 0-87564-700-6. 1. ["Craig Shipbuilding Co."](https://archive.org/stream/pacificmarinerev2730paci#page/n316/mode/1up). *Pacific Marine Review*. **27** (May). San Francisco: J.S. Hines. 1930. Retrieved 10 June 2015. 1. Williams, Greg W (2013). [*World War II U.S. Navy Vessels in Private Hands*](https://books.google.com/books?id=1zmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA96). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-7864-6645-0. 1. ["John Barrymore is About Down to Last Yacht"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19350718&id=pEYsAAAAIBAJ&pg=3842,1381219&hl=en). *The Spartanburg Herald-Journal*. 18 July 1935. Retrieved 10 June 2015. 1. ["John Barrymore To Lose Yacht"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19370830&id=-dVXAAAAIBAJ&pg=3595,6576493&hl=en). *Spokane Daily Chronicle*. 30 August 1937. Retrieved 10 June 2015. 1. ["Yachts transferred during 1941 to U.S. Government of Foreign Flags"](https://books.google.com/books?id=2eA5IXmIdW4C&pg=PA86). *Motor Boating*. **69** (2): 86. February 1942. ## External links - [Yacht" Infanta" owned by John Barrymore in Juneau 1931 and Whitehorse.](http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/cdmg21/id/18500) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS Amber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Amber) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Amber?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.